Asparagus.
The process for heating asparagus in the microwave is simple and requires very little time. Unlike simply putting whole asparagus on a plate and then microwaving it for several minutes, more favorable results can be achieved with a little preparation, including cutting the asparagus before cooking to remove the stringy ends. The asparagus should then be placed in a shallow dish or bowl in a single layer. Adding a little liquid to the bowl can help keep the asparagus moist during cooking. The bowl should be covered loosely and placed in the microwave for two to three minutes, until smooth but not drastically changing color or becoming mushy.
It takes very little time to put the asparagus in the microwave.
To properly microwave asparagus, best results can be obtained if the asparagus is trimmed before cooking. This involves separating the bottoms of the spears, which tend to be very dense, stringy, and not very palatable to eat. The asparagus can be cut in half to do this, or each spear can be folded in half until it fits into a natural breaking point between the stringy bottom and the tender top.
Using a microwave turntable will help food products cook evenly and thoroughly.
Microwaving asparagus primarily involves letting the asparagus cook in the steam and moisture generated, as microwaving causes the water in the vegetables to evaporate. For this reason, the asparagus should be placed in a shallow dish or bowl so there is room for steam to circulate between the vegetables. Simply using a shallow, microwave-safe dish without a lid can cause vegetables to cook unevenly and possibly dry out.
When placed in the container, the asparagus should be laid out in neat layers. One to three layers is the most effective option. If there are too many layers of asparagus on the plate, the vegetables can be too dense and prevent the microwave from reaching the center pieces. The same concept applies to diced asparagus.
Once in the container, a little liquid is needed to help keep the asparagus moist. The mechanism used to heat the asparagus will cause the water in the vegetables to evaporate, but having some liquid in the cooking pan will allow the moisture to be retained and replenished in the asparagus. Just a few tablespoons of water, chicken or vegetable broth, or white wine will do the trick. The liquid can also be seasoned with salt and pepper or other spices if desired.
The plate should be partially or lightly covered. This means covering the dish, but leaving some small spaces where excess steam can escape. Once covered, the asparagus should only take two to three minutes to heat up in the microwave; when more time is needed, the asparagus should be cooked in smaller increments of 15 to 30 seconds. When done, the asparagus will be tender when tested with a fork, but should also have some texture and springiness.